Why We’ll Miss Michelle Obama

It’s election season. The finals days of the Obamas as a first family are drawing near. In a few months, we will bid farewell to President Barack Obama and our beloved first lady Michelle Obama. Can we take a moment to talk about how tough this goodbye will be? Michelle is not only the wife of the president of the United States…she is a mother, lawyer, writer, advocate and role model. She is the ultimate Modern Trophy Wife (MTW). What makes her MTW material? Let’s break it down:

She’s Got The Balance Thing Down

Motherhood, marriage and career…check! She is holding it down in all these arenas like a boss. She maintains her cool despite the critical eye of the media constant search for cracks in her family’s foundation. If you ask me, she deserves a medal alone for being able to preserve a marriage and raise two teenage girls in the White House. With all that she has on her plate, she walks into the room with a confidence that is immediately noticeable. Michelle has become the symbol of a woman who can have it all…a profession, a family and personal goals.

She Is Not Afraid to Be Vulnerable

Michelle Obama never hesitates to share her journey and talk about her humble beginnings. She speaks candidly about being a child of parents who weren’t college-educated and feeling out of place as a student on Princeton University’s campus. She is open about the challenges she faces as a minority and the first African-American first lady. The awesome thing is that Michelle does not share this for sympathy but rather talks about it to inspire others. She reflects on how her journey has strengthened her and built her faith. This vulnerability is one of the many reasons that we love her. It makes her real.

Exercise Is a Priority

You just need to take one look at Michelle Obama in a sleeveless dress and you know fitness is on her priority list. Those sculpted arms alone have women all over the world adding biceps curls to their workout routines. She talks about the benefits of exercise and started the “Let’s move” campaign to fight childhood obesity. This is in true Modern Trophy Wife fashion where her healthy habits shine as an example to others. She uses this to pay it forward for our next generation to live healthier lives.

Wait, First Ladies can have fun?

I’ll be the first to admit that Michelle Obama has been “my friend in my head” for almost eight years now. She seems so fun. You can catch her doing push-ups on the Ellen Show, singing Missy Elliot verses in carpool karaoke with James Corden and showing the latest dance moves on the Disney Channel. She shows the world that she’s not just a politician’s wife but a woman who likes to kick off her shoes and have a good time. She has completely shattered the stereotype of the First Lady being rigid and standing in her husband’s shadows.

While maintaining an aura of class, she has single handedly challenged America’s views of beauty, elegance and strength. She is the epitome of a Modern Trophy Wife who is a role model yet humble, strong yet vulnerable, a leader and a friend. We will miss you Michelle. In January, we won’t say “goodbye” but instead “see ya later” because we all know that your impact on this world isn’t over.

Dr. Dion Metzger is the co-author of The Modern Trophy Wife: How to Achieve Your Life Goals While Thriving at Home. More information about Dr. Metzger and Dr. Gathing can be found at themoderntrophywife.com.

The Modern Trophy Wife (September 2016) is available at Amazon and booksellers nationwide.

More information about Dr. Gathing and Dr. Metzger can be found at themoderntrophywife.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Dion Metzger, M.D. is a board certified psychiatrist whose approachable demeanor and compelling expertise in mental health issues have helped her provide life-changing techniques that transform the lives of her patients. She earned her Doctorate of Medicine from Morehouse School of Medicine and completed her psychiatry residency at Emory University School of Medicine. In addition to obtaining her degrees, she also completed medical research at Stanford University School of Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Metzger has used her psychiatry experience to provide expertise through the media discussing relationships, sex, jobs, and pop-culture behavioral health topics. She has been featured on CNN’s HLN network, Aspire TV and most recently in the Wall Street Journal. She is currently on faculty as a professor in psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia and Morehouse School of Medicine. She resides in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband Aziz and their two boys.
Ayo Afejuku Gathing, M.D. is a board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. Dr. Gathing specializes in building healthy relationships and families, innovative health solutions, and the treatment of mental illness. As a professor, author and dynamic speaker she inspires others while imparting her knowledge of medicine with strategies for maintaining wellness. Dr. Gathing completed her psychiatric training and fellowship at the Emory University School of Medicine where she received numerous awards and accolades and was nominated as the chief resident after graduating with a medical doctorate from the Morehouse School of Medicine. She sits on the Behavioral Health Advisory Committee for the State of Texas legislature and serves as a Medical Director in healthcare administration where she oversees the appropriate delivery of mental health services to indigent and special needs populations. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband Jason Gathing.

6 Responses

Well, I won’t miss her. From the moment her husband was nominated and she said “this is the first time I’ve been proud of this country”, she lost me. I’ve lived all over the world and I know this is a great country. She’s not the first First Lady to raise children in the White House, so why is she so special? She’s had many critics, but who hasn’t? You think every eye wasn’t on the Bush girls, just waiting for them to do one thing wrong so the Democrats so could find another reason to criticize W? And Laura never said she couldn’t wait three hours for W to get out of meetings, finding it necessary to take her own plane.

Easy to be a free spirit and have a good time when someone else is paying for it, and even paying for your mother. So sorry to see that you teach at my alma mater.

Amen to all you’ve said!
I’m a Republican and politics aside, Michele Obama is the epitome of the perfect FOTUS!
I’ll miss her elegance, strength, wisdom and her regal stature in those wildly stunning gowns and hair-do’s I’ve grown to love watching.
You’ll be missed, Michele!

Wow, Cheryl, who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? There is just too much negativity in this world. People should be able to have different opinions without being rude. I agree with Dr. Dion-Michelle has been a great role model for young women (of all races and backgrounds) in our country. And, just so you know, I also thought Barbara and Laura Bush were wonderful role models as well. They all were able to be gracious, passionate, and kind in sometimes stressful situations as First Lady. Putting our political views aside, these ladies should all be recognized for what they contributed during their time at the White House.